Mini Beanz Baby Bean Bags Recalled by ACCC

Geoff Brand 31/08/2016

When designing, selling or using kids bean bags safety should always come first. In recent years, several manufacturers have fallen short of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) safety standards established for bean bag products. There have been several product recalls as a result of this failure to meet these safety standards. The most recent bean bag recall is particularly concerning as it involves a product designed specifically for newborn infants.

Mini Beanz Possible Mishap Leads to Recall

The concept of the Mini Beanz Bubble Orange Newborn Bean Bag was to provide a cute and comfortable resting place for infants. The manufacturer claims that the product can help prevent flat head and relieve reflux in newborns. Unfortunately, some of these bean bags, which were designed to keep babies upright, comfy and safe, present a potential suffocation hazard. Although the company did comply with ACCC standards by including a childproof slide closure, someone at the production level apparently dropped the ball during the final inspection process.

When it became apparent that some of the inner bag zippers and outer covers still had a paper clip attached to them, Product Safety Australia recalled the Bubble Orange Newborn Bean Bags. Because this could allow small children to easily access the bean bag filler, which can cause suffocation if inhaled, the products were in violation of ACCC standards. The infant-size bean bag was sold online through the Mini Beanz Bean Bags website from early July of 2015 to June of 2016. Customers who have already purchased the item will be notified about the recall and instructed to remove any paper clips that are still attached to the zippers.

Child Safety Is Paramount in the Bean Bag Industry

Relatively recent changes to existing ACCC safety regulations are responsible for the mandatory inclusion of child safety zippers on bean bag products. Deliberation over the Mandatory Safety Standards took more than a year before being effected at the beginning of 2016. Revisions to the standard require all bean bags to have childproof slide fasteners at every opening that allows for adding or removing contents. The regulations prohibit retailers, manufacturers, and distributors from supplying customers with handles, tags and other devices that could assist in opening the childproof closures.

The following warning must appear conspicuously and be permanently attached to bean bags sold in Australia:

“WARNING: Children can suffocate if bean bag filling is swallowed or inhaled. Do not let children climb inside this bean bag. A bean bag is not a safe sleeping surface for an infant under 12 months of age.”

Bean Bags R Us Upholds Strict Safety Standards

Bean Bags R Us, are fully committed to the safety of our customers, especially our smallest ones. All of our adult range and our kid’s beanbags include childproof safety zippers to prevent children and pets from accessing the bean bag contents, and while we do test our products carefully, we do not ship items with paper clips or any other opening devices attached. We fully support all ACCC amendments to the mandatory safety standard, and we actively promote public education about the safe and proper use of bean bag products. We want you and your children to enjoy our beanbags without any fear of faulty hidden hazards. If you have any questions about our safety zippers or other product features, please contact us for more information.